A. Field of the Invention
The field of the present invention relates generally to hand tools utilized during construction activities. More specifically, this invention relates to tools utilized to configure structural components to be plumb and level. Even more specifically, the present invention relates to adjustable, collapsible hand tools having one or more components thereon to assist the user with finding plumb and level conditions and determining angle measurements.
B. Background
During the construction of a structure or structural components, including roofs, cabinets and other structures, the user is often required to cut, attach, install or otherwise manipulate materials so that they are in a plumb or level condition. For instance, when constructing a roof for a building the rafters, which are the series of structural members that run up and down the roof slope that are configured to support the roof load, typically extend past or have an extension portion that extends past the side of the structure to form an overhang or soffit area. The overhang portion of the rafter is generally referred to as the rafter tail. Most modern homes and other buildings attach a fascia, which is a vertically configured board that faces outward from the structure, to the ends of the rafter tails to provide a more finished look to the roof. Proper installation of the fascia requires cutting rafter tails in a uniform and plumb manner such that the fascia plate is substantially vertical and does not have a wave-like or other undesirable look along its length. Typically, the plumb cut at the end of the rafter is found by using the rise and run figures of the common rafter with a variety of hand tools, such as a steel square, chalk line, tape measure and level. The use of all of these tools can be time consuming and awkward. The need to utilize various measurement, level and plumb tools also arises during the installation and/or construction of cabinets, siding and various other structural components of a building or other structure.
A very common hand tool that is utilized in the construction industry to measure and reproduce angles is the sliding t-bevel. The typical t-bevel has a handle portion and a slotted blade portion that is slidably attached through the slot to one end of the handle portion. A locking member, such as a locking wing nut or other type of locking screw, interconnects the slot portion of the blade to the handle and is utilized to set the angle of the blade relative to the handle and the amount which the blade extends on either side of the handle. In its non-use condition, with the blade and handle placed in a linear condition, the handle is configured with an opening such that part of the blade will be disposed inside the handle. The typical handle portion is four to six inches long and the typical blade portion is seven to ten inches long. Utilizing the t-bevel, the user can set an angle by locking the t-bevel's blade relative to its handle at the desired angle in order to maintain that angle when marking materials for cutting or positioning materials for installation. The user can also utilize the t-bevel to measure the angle of an existing component, such as the pitch of a roof, by placing the handle and blade portions of the t-bevel in alignment with the component, locking the portions in place relative to each other and then placing the t-bevel on a protractor or other angle measuring device.
Another common hand tool utilized in the construction industry to install structural components in their proper and/or desired manner is the straight edge level. The typical level is an elongated tool having one or more straight edges and one or more “bubble” vials configured to indicate whether the edge of the tool, which is placed against the structural component of interest, is level or not. A common configuration for a level is to have three or more vials, one each to determine plumb, level and 45 degrees. Levels are typically configured out of aluminum, fiberglass, plastic or other lightweight materials with a plurality of acrylic vials disposed in the level between its parallel straight edges. Levels may also be configured with one or more openings for hand grips.
Although a variety of tools are available for use in the construction industry to measure and layout angles in order to obtain a plumb cut, none of the presently existing tools do so in a convenient and easy to use manner. For instance, the process of marking rafter tails to cut the end plumb for installation of the fascia board requires multiple tools and measurements due to the uneven nature of the various rafters. What is needed is a single hand tool that simplifies and increases the accuracy of measuring and laying out of angles during the construction and/or installation of structural components, such as roofs, cabinets, siding and the like. The preferred measuring and laying out tool is a t-bevel plumb tool that allows the user to measure or set an angle relative to the plumb condition. The preferred t-bevel plumb tool should be configured with the standard, familiar components of a t-bevel (namely a handle, blade and locking mechanism) with the addition of a bubble vial component so the user can be sure that the measurement or layout is plumb. Preferably, the bubble vial component is disposed on the t-bevel so as to not interfere with the normal or non-plumb operation of the t-bevel and to allow the blade portion to be partially disposed inside the handle during non-use. It is also preferred that the t-bevel be configured to have a longer handle and blade lengths than the standard t-bevel to better facilitate its use for plumb purposes.